Meteorologist Roger Vaschalek, with the National Weather Service in Des Moines, said a spotter reported 5 and a half inches of snow two miles east/northeast of Fort Dodge.

He said it’s possible some areas even reached 6 inches of snow.

The constant snow all morning proved to be a challenge for road crews working to get the streets cleared.

Doug Barkema, operations superintendent for the Fort Dodge Public Works Department, said road crews were out all day plowing the streets.

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter
You know what they say about rain or snow… Nate Hubanks returns to his mail truck after making some deliveries downtown Friday morning. The rear-wheel drive truck isn't always the easiest to keep going in a straight line, and this particular truck's heater was broken Friday, Hubanks said, but he doesn't mind the cold too much. "It's part of living in Iowa," he said.

“We’ve been on top of it, but it just keeps snowing,” he said. “We’re just trying to keep the snow routes open good, the bridges and the hills.”

He said the city’s crew of truck drivers were tired by Friday evening and were getting ready to head out again at 4 a.m. today. Most of them went home by the end of the day, but a few stayed behind.

“I’ll have a few guys stay out just in case the LEC (law enforcement center) needs some help for slick spots,” Barkema said.

The biggest challenge for the crews was keeping on top of snow removal, but Barkema said there was another challenge as well: traffic

“Sometimes people are not used to the first snow like this,” Barkema said. “People need to learn how to be patient. They need to understand we got to watch them and the plow and watch everything.”

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter
Mid-Iowa Towing loads up a Jeep Grand Cherokee that was in an accident eastbound on U.S. Highway 20 at Racine Avenue Friday around 10:30 a.m. A firefighter at the scene said a DOT snowplow was also involved. More details were't available Friday, and a spokesperson for the Iowa State Patrol said troopers also had their hands full with a larger pile-up on Interstate 35. At least one person was transported to Trinity Regional Medical Center. Duncombe Fire Department and the Webster County Sheriff's office also responded.

Fort Dodge Police Lt. Joe Bates said the constant snowfall caused the roads to be “slick” and motorists were experiencing problems on bridges and overpasses in town.

However, he said there weren’t that many reported accidents.

“Not any more than the usual day,” he said. “We’ve had five or six so far today, which is about the average for most days.”

While patrolling the streets, Bates said it appeared most drivers were taking their time while on the road.

“They’ve been driving defensively and using their winter driving skills,” he said.

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter
The city's newest Mack truck snowplow works along Hawkeye Avenue. Road crews were able to keep up with continually falling snow, but it was a never-ending task, said operations manager Doug Barkema.

In the county, Dale Anderson, District 1 road foreman for Webster County, said his crews were also hard at work removing snow.

“(The roads are) somewhat still covered east and west,” he said. “We’ve got traffic sweeping it off, we’re plowing it off. It’s passable.”

He also anticipated his crews would be back on the road early this morning.

Webster County Sheriff Jim Stubbs reported a few accidents Friday.

“We had one at Racine (Avenue) and new (U.S. Highway) 20,” he said. “And then clear down south there was a car that went in the ditch. So far, the driving conditions haven’t caused a lot, but they obviously are deterioriating.”

-Messenger photo by Joe Sutter
With streets slick from the falling snow, this minivan apparently was unable to stop when coming down the steep hill on Seventh Avenue North toward Hawkeye Avenue. It crossed the street, hit the power pole's support cable, and damaged the rear tire. One person was taken to the hospital, Fort Dodge Police Officer Leighton Walker said, though he wasn't sure the extent of the injury. The van was in the roadway for a time, and a second officer was directing traffic.

Lt. Mark Miller, of the Iowa State Patrol, attributed the low amount of accidents to another weather condition that was absent Friday.

“Fortunately, we do not have a lot of wind today,” he said. “It’s coming down at a rate that the DOT (Department of Transportation) has been doing a wonderful job keeping up with as well. And we’ve had a minimal mount of problems.”

He recommended, if people have to drive in snow, to watch their driving.

“Remember, it’s slick,” he said. “Don’t set your cruise control and just take your time going places.”

For those planning on traveling, Vaschalek said the National Weather Service does not anticipate any more accumulation.

“The heavier band of snow is moving through the southern portion of the county now (Friday afternoon),” he said. “There’s a few flurries up near Cherokee this hour, but overall, it’s starting to taper off. You can expect to see the cold air throughout the weekend.”